CVE-2023-47671 in Vertical Scroll Recent Post Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2023
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Gopi Ramasamy Vertical scroll recent.This issue affects Vertical scroll recent post: from n/a through 14.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2023
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-47671 resides within the Vertical scroll recent post plugin developed by Gopi Ramasamy. This particular weakness manifests as a CSRF flaw that allows malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users within the affected system. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the plugin from the initial release through version 14.0, indicating a prolonged exposure period that could have enabled extensive exploitation. The issue stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF mechanisms, leaving web applications using this component susceptible to attacks where attackers can manipulate users into executing unwanted actions without their knowledge or consent.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it squarely within CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. This classification indicates that the plugin does not adequately validate the origin of requests or implement proper token-based authentication mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized requests from being processed. The vulnerability operates by exploiting the trust relationship between the web application and the user's browser, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the system. When users navigate to compromised pages or interact with malicious content, the plugin fails to verify that requests originate from the intended source, making it possible for attackers to perform actions such as modifying content, deleting posts, or changing user settings through authenticated sessions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it represents a significant security risk to websites utilizing the affected plugin. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain unauthorized access to administrative functions, potentially leading to complete compromise of the affected web applications. The vulnerability affects WordPress-based systems where the Vertical scroll recent post plugin is installed, creating a vector through which malicious actors could escalate privileges or cause data integrity issues. Organizations relying on this plugin face potential reputational damage, data loss, and compliance violations, particularly in environments where strict security controls are mandated. The extended version range from n/a through 14.0 suggests that the vulnerability has persisted across multiple releases, indicating either inadequate security testing or delayed security response from the plugin developer.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability should focus on implementing robust anti-CSRF protection mechanisms within the plugin code. The most effective approach involves implementing unique, unpredictable tokens for each user session that must be validated before processing any state-changing requests. Organizations should immediately update to the latest available version of the plugin once a fix is released, as the vulnerability affects all versions through 14.0. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and ensuring proper request validation can provide additional layers of protection. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and credential exposure, as attackers can leverage the CSRF flaw to perform actions that would normally require authenticated access. Network administrators should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns associated with CSRF attacks. The vulnerability underscores the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and regularly auditing third-party components for known security flaws, particularly in widely-used plugins that form integral parts of web application security infrastructure.